Bautzener Stadtwald in need: Bork beetles and clear cutting threaten nature!

Bautzener Stadtwald in need: Bork beetles and clear cutting threaten nature!

Bautzen, Deutschland - The condition of the Bautzen city forest is alarming. Calculuses and the persistent bark beetle plague have devastated large areas. According to a report of the Sächsische Zeitung Hectares of the 1400 hectare forest affected. The bark beetle, especially the types of book printer (IPS typography) and engraver (pityogenes chalcography), has caused devastating damage, especially on spruce stocks.

district forester Alexander Plutta expresses his dissatisfaction with the situation and emphasizes that the reforestation of the bald areas has a top priority in the coming years. There are currently some red beech, oaks and smaller spruces in the affected areas, which are intended to represent part of the future planting. In addition to a high proportion of conifers, the plan also provides integrating mixed tree species.

causes of damage

The bark beetle population grows rapidly and is favored by climate change. Milder weather and higher temperatures promote the reproduction of the beetles, which can produce up to three generations per year in some regions of Germany. In Bavaria, for example, the bark beetles were able to spread to heights of 800 meters in 2023, which results in similar problems in Saxony. The Forstpraxis reports that the probability of survival of the beetle has increased due to the relegated temperatures, which increases the risks in spring 2024

These circumstances, combined with the long -term practice of the softwood monocultures, make the forests particularly susceptible to damage from bark beetles. In the past 40 years, the damaged wooden attack has sifted from bark beetle, which makes the need to redesign forest politics. Mixed stocks are more resilient than the same conifers, so that the diversification of the tree species is urgently sought.

economic effects

The wooden harvest in the city forest has reduced drastically. Around 13,600 solid meters of wood were harvested annually in front of the bark damage, while now only between 3,500 and 4,000 festivals. Wood sales that used to make 90 percent of the forest revenue have decreased sharply due to the bare areas.

The Aspermühle emphasizes the challenges with which the forestry is confronted. In view of increasing temperatures and more frequent dry periods, rethinking in forestry is essential in order to meet the requirements of climate change and to protect the forests sustainably.

The challenges are diverse, and the race against the time for the renovation of the Bautzen city forest has just begun. District forester Plutta and his colleagues rely on natural rejuvenation through sperm flight and the temporary decommissioning of areas in order to regenerate the forest step by step and to restore a healthy forest structure.